Improved cylinder head cooling

ABSTRACT

A cylinder head assembly for an internal combustion engine includes lower and upper decks and connecting walls defining a coolant chamber with a plurality of exhaust ports for each cylinder extending through the coolant chamber to the lower deck. A longitudinally extending partial intermediate deck intersects the exhaust port walls and partially defines upper and lower sections of the coolant chamber. Connecting walls enclose portions of the lower section of the chamber intermediate the exhaust ports of adjacent cylinders. Adequate support for cores used in casting the main body of the cylinder head is provided through openings connecting the enclosed portions of the coolant chamber with the remaining lower portions and upper section. At assembly, tubular inserts are installed in these openings to block communication of the enclosed chamber portion with the remaining portions and to direct coolant flow into the enclosed portion from an external supply. The arrangement forces coolant to flow between the adjacent exhaust ports and around the fuel injector tube at each cylinder position before passing to other portions of the coolant chamber.

United States Patent [191 Zaruba IMPROVED CYLINDER HEAD COOLING Karl Zaruba, Detroit, Mich.

[73] Assignee: General Motors Corporation,

Detroit, Mich.

[22 Filed: Apr. 23, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 353,587

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 123/4182, 123/4173, 123/4177, 123/4182 A [51]' Int. Cl F02f 1/34 [58] Field of Search 123/41.82, 41.73, 41.77, 123/4182 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,130,461 4/1964 Curtis l23/4l.82 3,176,666 4/1965 Whitehead l23/4l.82 3,315,652 4/1967 Ries et a1. l23/4l.82 3,420,215 11/1966 Seifert 123/4182 3,547,086 12/1970 Skatsche 123/41.73 3,769,948 11/1973 Feichtinger 123/4182 Primary Examiner-Manuel A. Antonakas [451 June 25, 1974 [5 7] ABSTRACT A cylinder head assembly for an internal combustion engine includes lower and upper decks and connecting walls defining a coolant chamber with a plurality of exhaust ports for each cylinder extending through the coolant chamber to the lower deck. A longitudinally extending partial intermediate deck intersects the exhaust port walls and partially defines upper and lower sections of the coolant chamber. Connecting walls enclose portions of the lower section of the chamber intermediate the exhaust-ports of adjacent cylinders. Adequate support for cores used in casting the main body of the cylinder head is provided through openings connecting the enclosed portions of the coolant chamber with the remaining lower portions and upper section. At assembly, tubular inserts are installed in these openings to block communication of the enclosed chamber portion with the: remaining portions and to direct coolant flow into the enclosed portion from an external. supply. The arrangement forces coolant to flowbetween the adjacent exhaust ports and around the fuel injector tube at each cylinder position before passing to other portions of the coolant chamher.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to cylinder heads for internal combustion engines and more particularly to provisions for improving cooling of a multi-cylinder engine head assembly while facilitating manufacture of the cast main body.

It is known in the engine cylinder head art to provide a coolant jacket surrounding the highly heated portions of a head such as the exhaust gas passages, exhaust valve seats, fire deck and injector tubes of diesel engine cylinder heads. Various arrangements have been used to direct coolant toward or along the most critical areas adjacent the fire deck which forms one wall of the engine combustion chamber in, each cylinder and around.

the exhaust valve seats formed in the fire deck. The use of intermediate decks or walls to direct coolant flow to these critical areas is common practice in. diesel en-l gines having individual cylinder heads for each cylinder. However, the complexities. of manufacture in casting of such intermediate decks in cylinder heads of multi-cylinder engines have made the adoption of such constructions more difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE IlNlVIElNTIOlNl The present invention, provides a multi-cylinder engine cylinder head construction inwhich a partial intermediate deck is utilized in portions of the coolant chamber intermediate the exhaust ports defining upper and lower sections of the chamber. Portions of; the lower section intermediate the adjacent cylinder posi tions are enclosed by connecting walls and receive coolant flow. through openings in the lower wall or fire deck. The coolant is then directed between and around the adjacent exhaust port walls, past theinjector tube so that these critical areas are adequately cooled before the coolant is permitted to pass into the other areas of the coolant chamber.

The casting of the main cylinder head body is facilitated by the provision of openings connecting with the coolant openings in the lower cylinder head, wall and extending through'the vertical connecting walls, and inv some cases the intermediate deck. These openings are used to interconnect the cores provided for theclosed lower cavity portions with those of the adjacent open lower portions and upper section.of the coolantchamher. After casting, these openings are pluggedby tubular inserts which direct cooling water flow throughthe lower wall into the enclosed lower chamber portions and block connection of these portions with the adjacent upper section andthe openlower portionsof the coolant chamber.

These and other features and advantages of-"the invention will be-morefully understood;from'the follows ing description of a preferred embodiment, takento gether with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF i DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal crossssectional view otTa portion of an engine cylinder headformedaccordingto the invention as viewed inithe planegenerally, indicatedby. the line l-l oi FIG. 3;

portions-55'intermediatethe four exhaust ports of each.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, numeral 10 generally indicates a cylinder head for a multi-cylinder diesel engine formed according to the invention. Cylinder head 10 is in the fonn of an assembly including a cast-machined body 12 having a plurality of cylinder positions and assembled together with a plurality of formed metal injector tubes 14' and coolant-directing insert tubes 16 and 18 arranged in a: manner and for purposes to be subsequently described. V

The cast body 1201? thecylinder head assembly includes upper and lower decks 20 and 22,, respectively, connected by an interior side wall 24 and by a peripheral side wall 26 and end walls, only one 28 of which is shown. These interior and peripheral walls enclose anddefine an internal coolant jacket or chamber 30 between the decks 20, 22.

At each: ofthe cylinder locations, four rectangularly spaced exhaust port openings 32a, b, c and d; 34a, b, c

,and d, etc. are providedaopening through the lower wall 22..The exhaust port openings are connected by individual upwardly extending exhaust port-defining walls 36a, b, c, d; 38a, b, c, d, etc. with a generally horizontally extending bifurcated exhaust passage 40 at each cylinder location, openingth'rough the side wall 26 of the cylinder head and havingenclosingwalls 42 extending into the coolant jacket 30.

Casting l0further includes a plurality of columns 43 through 48 extending between the upper and lower walls and enclosing vertically extending bolt openings 50. adapted to receive bolts or studs for securing the cylinder head to an associated engine block. At locations intermediate each of the cylinder positions, vertically extending supporting walls 51 are. provided extending laterally intermediate but separated from the respective columns.

An intermediate deck is provided between the upper and lower decks and extending from the endwalls of the cylinder head to and interrnedliate the various exhaust; port walls, intersecting these walls at locations spaced above the lower wall andseparating thecoolant jacket into upper and lower sections. The intermediate deck is actually made up of a plurality. of individual portions. These include end portions 54 intermediate the end walls and the adjacent exhaust ports, central cylinder position andbridge portions 56 extending be tween the exhaust ports of adjacent cylinders and intersecting the vertical support walls 51. The lower portions of the exhaust passage walls 42connect; thevariousportions 54, 55, 56 and thus also form portions of:

the intermediate deck.

The lateral: edges of intermediate deck bridge portionsl56tare connectedlwiththe lower deck.22 by. generally longitudinally. extending connecting walls- 58 andi 59. to encloseinlargemeasure the lower portion of the coolant chamber intermediate adjacent cylinders. In like manner, connecting walls 60, 61 are provided connecting the edges of intermediate deck portions 54 to the lower deck 22 to nearly enclose these portions of the lower coolant chamber. Connecting walls 58, 59, 60 and 61 and the supporting walls 51 are interrupted by openings 63, 64 which extend through the lower deck 22 and provide communication between the enclosed portions of the lower coolant chamber and the remaining lower portions of the coolant chamber during the manufacturing process. Openings 63 also extend upwardly through the intermediate deck bridge portions 56 to connect the lower portions of the coolant chamber with its upper section. These openings 63, 64 permit cores for the upper and lower coolant chamber sections and the closed and open positions of the lower section to support one another at these points during the process of casting the main body of the cylinder head so that there is adequate support for these cores in the casting process. After casting, openings 63 and 64 are machined to final size, as shown, and tubular inserts l6 and 18 are installed.

lnserts l6 and 18 are tubular members closed at one end and open at the other, inserts 16 having a single outlet opening 66 part way up the side wall thereof, while inserts 18 have a pair of angularly spaced outlet openings 68, 69 spaced part way up their side walls. These insert members are preferably made of corrosion-res istant material, such as brass or the like.

lnserts '16 are press-fitted into openings 64 with their open ends downwardly and their upper ends extending into machined recesses 71 formed in bosses 72 provided on the lower side of intermediate deck end portions 54. Openings 66 are positioned to connect with the enclosed lower deck portions at the ends of the cylinder head.

lnserts 18 are pressed into openings 63 with their open ends downwardly and their closed upper ends extending through and plugging the portions of the openings 63 in intermediate deck bridge portions 56. The

' inserts 18 are positioned so that their spaced outlet openings 68, 69 connect with the enclosed lower coolant chamber portions on opposite sides of the supporting walls 51.

The remaining wall portions of inserts l6 and 18 close the openings in the connecting walls 58 61 and block connection of the enclosed lower coolant chamber portions directly with the remaining lower portions of the coolant chamber. outside of the connecting walls.

Centrally located within the four exhaust port openings of each cylinder position are vertically aligned openings 74, 75 and 76 through the upper, intermediate and lower decks, respectively. These openings receive the injector tubes 14, which are pressed into place and swaged at their lower ends, the upper ends being sealed in part by press fitting, together with the use of a resilient seal 78. The injector tube is preferably made of formed brass or the like and provides a tubular enclosure within which a fuel injector may be installed in the cylinder head.

Upon installation of the cylinder head on an engine cylinder block, the groups of exhaust ports 32a d, 340 d etc. are aligned with individual cylinders of the engine, not shown, and the openings 63, 64 in the lower wall are connected with corresponding openings in the engine cylinder block through which liquid coolant is supplied under pressure to the cylinder head. Coolant entering openings 64 is directed by inserts 16 into the enclosed lower coolant chamber portions at the ends of the cylinder head from which it is forced to flow between the adjacent valve port walls (e.g. 36a, 12) and past the injector tube 14 where it merges with coolant coming in the other direction and passes out from under the intermediate deck central portion between the longitudinally adjacent exhaust ports of the end cylinders (e.g. 36a, d and 36 b,c). Coolant entering openings 63 is directed by inserts 18 into the two sections of the enclosed lower coolant chamber portions between the cylinders. The coolant supplied to each section is directed between the two adjacent exhaust port walls (e.g. 32c, d) and past the injector boss, where it merges with coolant coming from the opposite direction and is directed transversely out from under the intermediate deck central portion 55 between the longitudinally adjacent exhaust ports (e.g. 32a, d and 32 b,c). The coolant is then free to move into other portions of the lower coolant chamber and upwardly into the upper section of the coolant chamber, where it cools the walls 42 of the exhaust passages and other walls of the cylinder head before passing out through an outlet opening, not shown.

The invention provides a cylinder head for a multicylinder engine wherein use is made of an intermediate deck and vertical connecting walls to direct coolant positively between the valve seats and around the injector tube so that adequate cooling of these critical areas is assured. The arrangement is such that tubular inserts serve the dual purpose of directing water flow into the desired portions of the coolant chamber while closing off openings connecting otherwise closed chamber portions with transversely and vertically adjacent portions of the chamber to provide for suitable contact between casting cores in the manufacturing process.

Since it is anticipated that numerous changes could be made in the inventive concepts disclosed without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that the invention be limited only by the language of the following claims. I

I claim:

1. A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine,

said head comprising a cast member having spaced upper and .lower decks connected by enclosing walls to define a coolant chamber,

a plurality of spaced exhaust port-defining walls extending upwardly from said lower wall into said coolant chamber, said exhaust port walls being arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs of laterally spaced ports,

a partial intermediate deck spaced between said upper and lower decks and intersecting said exhaust port walls so as to separate said coolant chamber intermediate at least certain of said exhaust ports into upper and lower sections,

connecting walls extending between said intermediate and lower decks and the longitudinally adjacent exhaust port walls of two adjacent pairs of said laterally spaced ports so as to substantially close the laterally opposite sides of the portion of said coolant chamber lower section between said adjacent pairs of exhaust ports,

said lower deck having a plurality of coolant openings therethrough and communicating with said closed portion of said coolant chamber, said coolant openings being vertically aligned with connecting openings in said connecting walls and said intermediate deck, permitting interconnection during manufacture of said closed lower chamber portion, with said upper chamber section and the adjacent open portions of said lower chamber section, and

a tubular insert in each of said connecting openings, said inserts being closed atone end and open at the other, said closed end extending into and blocking said connecting openings in said intermediate deck, and the sides of said inserts blocking direct communication between said closed portion of said lower coolant chamber section and the remainder of said lower section, and openings in the walls of said inserts communicating said closed chamber portion with the open ends of said inserts to permit coolant flow through said inserts from the exterior of said head lower deck to said closed chamber portion, said closed coolant chamber portion communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through openings intermediate the laterally adjacent exhaust port walls of said two adjacent pairs of ports. a

2. In a partially cast cylinder head member for an internal combustion engine,

means defining a coolant chamber, said means including a lower deck having portions exposed to combustion in the engine cylinders, plurality of exhaust port-defining walls extending upwardly into said coolant chamber from said lower deck and each terminating at a single exhaust opening through said lower deck, said exhaust ports being arranged in longitudinally spaced groups, the ports of each group being adapted for connection with an individual cylinder of an associated engine, said groups each including four ports laterally and longitudinally spaced in rectangular fashion, wall means enclosing a lower portion of said coolant chamber adjacent said lower deck and between two of said longitudinally spaced groups of exhaust ports, said enclosed lower portion communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through spaces between the pairs of exhaust port walls adjacent said enclosed lower portion, said lower deck having a pair of coolant openings therethrough, communicating with said enclosed lower portion of the coolant chamber, and said enclosing wall means having openings therethrough aligned with said pair of lower deck coolant openings and adapted to connect said enclosed lower portion laterally and vertically with other portions of said coolant chamber to provide interchamber core support during the casting process, and

pair of tubular insert members, each enclosed at one end and open at the other, with at least one opening in the tubular wall thereof spaced between the ends, said insert members each being mounted in one of said lower deck coolant openings and having their closed ends extending into the respective aligned openings in said enclosing wall means, said insert members being oriented (at) with their tubular wall openings connecting with the interior of said enclosed lower coolant chamber portion to communicate said enclosed portion with the exterior of said head through said insert members and bustion engine, said head comprising i a cast member having spaced upper and lower decks connected by enclosing side and end walls to define a coolant chamber,

a plurality of walls defining exhaust passages opening through one of said side walls and extending generally horizontally into said coolant chamber, said exhaust passages connecting with a plurality of spaced exhaust ports through. said lower deck and defined by walls extending upwardly from said lower deck through said coolant chamber, said exhaust ports being arranged at longitudinally spaced cylinder positions in groups of four ports each, the ports of each group being longitudinally and laterally spaced in rectangular fashion for connection with an individual cylinder of such engine,

a lateral supporting wall extending between said upper and lower decks intermediate each cylinder position, v

a component receiving tube secured in openings in the upper and lower decks at each cylinder position and spaced intermediate the exhaust port-defining walls for the respective position,

first, second and third intermediate deck portions spaced between said upper and lower decks, said first portions extending longitudinally between said end walls and the adjacent exhaust passage walls, .said second portions extending between the adjacent exhaust passages of the various cylinder positions and intersecting said lateral supporting walls and said third portions extending between the four exhaust port walls of each cylinder position and engaging their respective component receiving tubes, said intermediate deck portions together with said exhaust passage walls defining a partial intermediate deck separating said coolant chamber longitudinally of said exhaust ports into upper and lower sections,

connecting walls closing the laterally opposite sides of said coolant chamber lower section beneath said first and second intermediate deck portions to form first and second closed lower coolant chamber portions, respectively, I

said lower deck having a plurality of coolant openings therethrough, including first coolant openings communicating with said first closed lower chamber portions and second coolant openings commu nicating with said second closed lower chamber portions, said coolant openings being vertically aligned with connecting openings in said connecting walls, and said second coolant openings being further aligned with connecting openings in said second intermediate deck portions, thereby permitting interconnection during manufacture of said closed lower chamber portions with said upper chamber section and the remaining adjacent lower portions of said lower chamber section, and

tubular insert in each of said connecting openings, said inserts being closed at one end and open at the other, said inserts closed ends extending into and blocking said connecting openings in said second to said closed chamber portions, said closed chamber portions communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through openings intermediate the respective laterally adjacent pairs of exhaust port walls. 

1. A cylinder head for an internal combustion engine, said head comprising a cast member having spaced upper and lower decks connected by enclosing walls to define a coolant chamber, a plurality of spaced exhaust port-defining walls extending upwardly from said lower wall into said coolant chamber, said exhaust port walls being arranged in longitudinally spaced pairs of laterally spaced ports, a partial intermediate deck spaced between said upper and lower decks and intersecting said exhaust port walls so as to separate said coolant chamber intermediate at least certain of said exhaust ports into upper and lower sections, connecting walls extending between said intermediate and lower decks and the longitudinally adjacent exhaust port walls of two adjacent pairs of said laterally spaced ports so as to substantially close the laterally opposite sides of the portion of said coolant chamber lower section between said adjacent pairs of exhaust ports, said lower deck having a plurality of coolant openings therethrough and communicating with said closed portion of said coolant chamber, said coolant openings being vertically aligned with connecting openings in said connecting walls and said intermediate deck, permitting interconnection during manufacture of said closed lower chamber portion, with said upper chamber section and the adjacent open portions of said lower chamber section, and a tubular insert in each of said connecting openings, said inserts being closed at one end and open at the other, said closed end extending into and blocking said connecting openings in said intermediate deck, and the sides of said inserts blocking direct communication between said closed portion of said lower coolant chamber section and the remainder of said lower section, and openings in the walls of said inserts communicating said closed chamber portion with the open ends of said inserts to permit coolant flow through said inserts from the exterior of said head lower deck to said closed chamber portion, said closed coolant chamber portion communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through openings intermediate the laterally adjacent exhaust port walls of said two adjacent pairs of ports.
 2. In a paRtially cast cylinder head member for an internal combustion engine, means defining a coolant chamber, said means including a lower deck having portions exposed to combustion in the engine cylinders, a plurality of exhaust port-defining walls extending upwardly into said coolant chamber from said lower deck and each terminating at a single exhaust opening through said lower deck, said exhaust ports being arranged in longitudinally spaced groups, the ports of each group being adapted for connection with an individual cylinder of an associated engine, said groups each including four ports laterally and longitudinally spaced in rectangular fashion, wall means enclosing a lower portion of said coolant chamber adjacent said lower deck and between two of said longitudinally spaced groups of exhaust ports, said enclosed lower portion communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through spaces between the pairs of exhaust port walls adjacent said enclosed lower portion, said lower deck having a pair of coolant openings therethrough, communicating with said enclosed lower portion of the coolant chamber, and said enclosing wall means having openings therethrough aligned with said pair of lower deck coolant openings and adapted to connect said enclosed lower portion laterally and vertically with other portions of said coolant chamber to provide interchamber core support during the casting process, and a pair of tubular insert members, each enclosed at one end and open at the other, with at least one opening in the tubular wall thereof spaced between the ends, said insert members each being mounted in one of said lower deck coolant openings and having their closed ends extending into the respective aligned openings in said enclosing wall means, said insert members being oriented (a) with their tubular wall openings connecting with the interior of said enclosed lower coolant chamber portion to communicate said enclosed portion with the exterior of said head through said insert members and lower deck openings, and (b) to block communication of said enclosed portion with the remainder of said coolant cavity through said aligned openings in said enclosing wall means.
 3. A cylinder head for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, said head comprising a cast member having spaced upper and lower decks connected by enclosing side and end walls to define a coolant chamber, a plurality of walls defining exhaust passages opening through one of said side walls and extending generally horizontally into said coolant chamber, said exhaust passages connecting with a plurality of spaced exhaust ports through said lower deck and defined by walls extending upwardly from said lower deck through said coolant chamber, said exhaust ports being arranged at longitudinally spaced cylinder positions in groups of four ports each, the ports of each group being longitudinally and laterally spaced in rectangular fashion for connection with an individual cylinder of such engine, a lateral supporting wall extending between said upper and lower decks intermediate each cylinder position, a component receiving tube secured in openings in the upper and lower decks at each cylinder position and spaced intermediate the exhaust port-defining walls for the respective position, first, second and third intermediate deck portions spaced between said upper and lower decks, said first portions extending longitudinally between said end walls and the adjacent exhaust passage walls, said second portions extending between the adjacent exhaust passages of the various cylinder positions and intersecting said lateral supporting walls and said third portions extending between the four exhaust port walls of each cylinder position and engaging their respective component receiving tubes, said intermediate deck portions together with said exhaust passage walls defining a partial intermediate deck separating said coolant chamber longitudinally of said exhaust ports into upper and lower sections, connecting walls closing the laterally opposite sides of said coolant chamber lower section beneath said first and second intermediate deck portions to form first and second closed lower coolant chamber portions, respectively, said lower deck having a plurality of coolant openings therethrough, including first coolant openings communicating with said first closed lower chamber portions and second coolant openings communicating with said second closed lower chamber portions, said coolant openings being vertically aligned with connecting openings in said connecting walls, and said second coolant openings being further aligned with connecting openings in said second intermediate deck portions, thereby permitting interconnection during manufacture of said closed lower chamber portions with said upper chamber section and the remaining adjacent lower portions of said lower chamber section, and a tubular insert in each of said connecting openings, said inserts being closed at one end and open at the other, said inserts'' closed ends extending into and blocking said connecting openings in said second intermediate deck portions, the sides of said inserts blocking communication between said closed lower portions of said coolant chamber and the remainder thereof, and openings in the sides of said inserts communicating said closed lower chamber portions with the inserts'' open ends to permit coolant flow from the exterior of said head lower deck to said closed chamber portions, said closed chamber portions communicating with the remainder of said coolant chamber through openings intermediate the respective laterally adjacent pairs of exhaust port walls. 